Measure of Mettle
by AnimeGirl 144
Summary: Things are not going well for Woody. Insecurity eats away at him, and all he wants is to be useful. Is that so wrong? [Contains spoilers and headcanon material]
1. Something is Off

**Okay, so I don't know why my second installment into _Lazer Team_ is a hurt-comfort story, but here we are. There will be some spoilers because of the fact that it takes place after the movie. Also, Zach curses; like a lot. He has a potty mouth. Hagan's working on it. There's also a good amount of headcanon on my part, so if that makes you wary, I suggest reading this with caution.**

* * *

"They can spend thousands of dollars on their fancy video game, but they can't even get us some good food?" Zach complained, taking a bite from his unappealing hamburger. "This is bullshit."

"It's a virtual reality system, not a video game," Hagan corrected after swallowing the turkey sub that he had just taken a bite from. "Also, are you going to bitch about the food every day?"

"If it gets us better food, I will," Zach replied.

"Pffft. Good luck with that," Herman chuckled. "Three weeks and counting."

"It's bullshit that you get to have alcohol, and I eat shit," Zach complained, glaring at Herman half-heartedly.

"Hey, if they don't want me smoking, then they had to let me have my liquor," Herman responded with a shrug.

Hagan rolled his eyes at his teammate's reasoning. Herman had complained endlessly about the military cutting his habits, and so they allowed him to have his alcohol so long as he stopped his smoking (Herman was secretly smoking, but he had cut down the amount of cigarettes he used). Hagan liked to believe that the military just didn't want to deal with Herman's bitching anymore.

Hagan glanced away from his two teammates to take a look around the Mess Hall. The room was empty, save for the three of them and the cafeteria staff. They always had lunch away from the rest of the occupants on base; Colonel Emory had scheduled it as such. There was one member missing from their table, and he was late. Hagan took a second glance around, still noticing their teammate missing. He went back to his sandwich, trying to keep the worry at bay. It wasn't working.

It had become pretty obvious early on that Woody was incapable of consuming food like they were. His helmet was latched to his body, and they were still working on getting the visor to retract so that he could properly eat, drink, and breathe. So, in order for Woody to not die from starvation or dehydration, the young man would go to the Medical Wing on base while his team was eating their meals and receive shots of nutrients and water by being injected with a needle. It wasn't entirely painful, but Woody did sport bruises simply because of how constantly a needle was being stuck in his body.

Hagan hadn't been okay with the arrangement at first (or at all). Although Emory made it clear that Lazer Team was a part of the DETIA one hundred percent, and that they were going to be treated like real soldiers instead of prisoners, Hagan was still wary of the Medical Wing. The team had a silent understanding that the Medical Wing was to be approached with caution, and so he and the other two men avoided the wing at all cost. They only went there for their physical, and the occasional injury. In those cases, they were all together, or at least two of them were.

Woody was always alone.

The arrangement had unsettled Hagan greatly when it was first presented, and he had argued with the colonel on it tooth and nail. He didn't like the idea of Woody being alone with the hospital staff, even when Emory promised they wouldn't harm any of them. His arguments had been rebuffed by Woody, who had used his logical mind to counter his worry. The army wasn't going to look for a new set of heroes after they already saw that Lazer Team was up for the challenge, so they wouldn't take off his head. Hagan had reluctantly agreed with Woody and let the arrangement occur, but that didn't mean it settled well for him.

And now, Woody was running late.

Hagan took another bite of his sandwich, trying to fight off the worry that was readily making its way through his entire system. He knew he was a worry wort, and that Woody was a grown (almost) adult and could handle himself. That didn't stop the worry one bit. What if he was hurt? What if the doctors did operate on him without his knowledge? What if something was seriously wrong with the man? What if a rouge soldier was beating him up?

Hagan allowed another couple minutes to pass by before he finally had enough. Woody was, according to the clock, twenty minutes late. Hagan could feel something was wrong, and he chalked it up to his parental instincts. Putting down his half-eaten sub, the former sheriff stood up from his place on the bench and made his way to the doors. Herman and Zach noticed his actions, looking at his retreating figure in surprise.

"Where you going Half-Ass?" Herman called after him, still using the nickname even after they made up.

"Going to go find Woody," Hagan responded, turning his head over his shoulder slightly so he could glance at his teammates. "He's late."

Zach and Herman watched him leave, not bothering to mock him for his worry. They knew what he meant, and though they didn't show it outwardly, they were worried about Woody as well. They hadn't raised a fuss when Woody was basically ordered to spend a majority of his meal times with the medical staff, but they hadn't been okay with it either. In their subtle ways, they'd probe Woody for information, to see if he was being wrongfully treated and just didn't want to own up to it.

The soldiers didn't bother Hagan as he stalked through the corridors, looking for a certain helmet wearing man. Two months prior, he may have been taken down by the soldiers for venturing the compound without supervision. Now, as a member of the DETIA, he and his teammates were allowed to walk around the base without issue (provided they didn't venture into restricted territory). Hagan was happy that they were no longer bothering them; he wasn't in the mood to deal with their crap if they tried to stop him. Woody was missing, Hagan was entirely worried, and he was running on parental instinct as he searched out his younger teammate.

He decided that the first place to check was the Medical Wing of the base. He really didn't want to go there, but that was the last place Woody was. As he was making his way toward the building, he noticed Officer Vandenbloom walking his way toward him. The man, although creepy, could be trusted. He was the nicest to them out of the rest of the military, even if Hagan felt uncomfortable around him. Vandenbloom was in charge of making sure Woody went to all of his check-ins with the doctors, so he'd have some clue on Woody's last known whereabouts.

"Hey, Vandenbloom," Hagan called jogging over to the man.

Vandenbloom looked flustered for a moment before regaining his cool and putting on a straight face. He greeted the gauntlet wielder with a nod of his head.

"Hello Hagan," the officer greeted. "Is there something you needed?"

"Have you seen Woody?" Hagan asked. "He never showed up at the Mess Hall."

"He was discharged from Dr. Hellop almost half an hour ago," Vandenbloom stated, looking mildly confused.

"Okay, thanks," Hagan stated with a quick nod of his head. "I'll keep looking then."

Hagan patted the man on his shoulder before continuing to walk down the hallway. Some of his worry had dissipated because at least the doctors hadn't done something to him. But a whole new level of worry sprung forth because if Woody wasn't with the doctors, and he was with the team, then _where was he?_ On a whim, he decided to check the barracks; perhaps he had gotten tired?

Their barrack was a bit of an upgrade from the brig they had lived in while they were apart of Project Perseus, and Hagan was stressing the word 'bit.' They were still bunking, and they had the same sleeping arrangements they had back in the brig. There was no toilet or bench, but they did have windows to see outside. There was also the plus that there weren't armed guards standing outside their door, waiting for them to screw up.

Making his way to their barracks quickly, Hagan didn't hesitate to open the door, stepping inside and giving the room a very quick scan. In a few seconds flat, he found Woody lying on his bed. Cautiously, Hagan approached the bed, noting how Woody looked. The young man looked so small, his legs tucked in close to his body, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs. It was such a jarring image, but Hagan's parental side kicked in, and he operated on autopilot without even thinking about it.

"Woody? Are you okay?" he asked the young man, walking over to the top bunk.

Woody didn't respond to his question. He continued to stare blankly at the wall opposite him, not even acknowledging Hagan's presence. Worried because he'd never seen such a blank look on Woody's face before, Hagan reached out and laid a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Woody?" he questioned in concern, looking the young man over for any sign of injury. Had the doctors hurt Woody without Vandenbloom noticing? Was he sporting an injury that no one knew about?

Woody's body tensed at the touch, and his body curled into itself just a tiny bit more. If Hagan hadn't been watching Woody carefully, he would have missed the body shifting in on itself. Woody blinked a couple times, coming back to himself before he glanced up at Hagan, noticing him for the first time. Slowly, the young man sat up, Hagan's hand falling off of his shoulder and landing back at his side. Hagan studied the young man carefully, watching the way Woody's blank face was hidden behind a mask of confusion.

"Is something wrong Hagan?" Woody asked.

"You tell me," Hagan replied. "You skipped out on the Mess Hall. Did everything go well with Dr. Hellop?"

"It proceeded as normal," Woody responded robotically. "I decided to come here and rest instead of go to the Mess Hall. That's all."

"That's all?" the older man repeated for clarification.

As a cop and a father, Hagan considered himself to be pretty good at pinpointing a lie. It was incredibly easy to do when it came to Zach and Herman, but Woody was a different matter entirely. Before their encounter with the Antareans, Woody had always been truthful, simply because he had no mental capability to come up with a lie. Hagan had hoped this characteristic would continue to be true, even with the helmet. As he studied Woody and the mask that he wore, he was beginning to think Woody was learning how to lie.

"That's all," Woody confirmed. "I'm fine, honest."

Hagan studied Woody with a frown, but sighed. He had no real evidence to disprove Woody's claim, and he didn't want to push the young man too far. If there was one thing he had learned from his daughter, it was to back off and wait for them to come to him. If something was bothering Woody, he'd eventually come to Hagan.

"Alright," Hagan stated. "If something is wrong, you know you can come to me with your problems, right?"

"Yes," Woody answered.

Hagan expected Woody to continue, but the young man didn't, making Hagan sigh in exasperation under his breath. He clapped the young man on the shoulder, thankful that he didn't flinch away from the touch.

"Alright," he repeated again. "Well, I'm heading back to the guys, you coming?"

"I'm going to stay here a little longer," Woody answered.

"Alright. See you in a few minutes," Hagan replied, exiting the barracks with one quick look at Woody.

The young man didn't respond, once again looking at the wall with a blank look on his face. Hagan frowned, but left Woody alone once again. He didn't entirely believe Woody, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong. He closed the door and made his way back to the Mess Hall, expecting to see Woody at their training session once their break was over.

* * *

Hagan was walking briskly toward the barrack, leading Zach and Herman from the Mess Hall. Woody hadn't shown up their entire session, and while the scientists had looked annoyed by his no-show, no one went to grab him. Zach had said a few colorful words about the situation, but one hard glare from Hagan and a jab in his ribs from Herman shut him up pretty quickly. Hagan had barely focused on his training session, and the scientists had noticed the team's entire lack of focus, so they released them early. The three had gone to get food, but were now on their way to the barrack.

"Woody?" Hagan called when he entered the barrack, stepping in first.

Woody was still on his bunk bed, but he had turned and was now facing away from the other bunk. His body was tucked in on itself again, hidden by the blanket that was pulled up to his chin. He looked like such a child it made Hagan's heart hurt just looking at him. Zach did not feel the same way, and he pushed his way past the older man, stomping his way over to his teammate.

"What the hell shithead? Who said you get to skip training while the rest of us have to bust our asses?" Zach demanded, seething at Woody's back.

The scrawny man didn't acknowledge his loud teammate's words. He didn't acknowledge any of them. Zach, furious that he was ignored, reached out and grabbed his teammate by the shoulder.

"Hey," he snapped, giving the shoulder a rough shove. "Are you listening asshole?"

" _Zach_ ," Hagan scolded, leveling a hard glare on the young man.

Zach removed his hand from Woody's person, and he looked at Hagan in mild surprise. Hagan hadn't taken that tone with him since the days before the Worg attacked. In another time and place, it would have been hilarious to Zach on how much of a parent Hagan looked like in that moment, but the situation was too serious for him to laugh, and so Zach kept silent and backed away from the non-responsive man. Hagan looked Woody over, but the young man still wasn't responding to his environment. The older man stepped forward and placed a hand on Woody's shoulder.

"Woody?" Hagan asked in concern.

He would have made an attempt to move Woody's shoulder, but he had noticed the way Woody's body curled in on itself, trying to break itself free of Hagan's touch. He stopped and removed his hand, looking at the back of the helmet in concern and worry.

"Are you feeling okay?" Hagan asked.

Woody remained silent.

"Did you go to the doctors?" Herman asked from his bunk, his eyes revealing how worried he was.

Again, Woody remained silent.

"Are you giving us the cold shoulder?" Zach demanded, looking miffed but also worried.

Woody continued to be silent.

The three teammates looked to each other, unsure of what to do. Woody was typically outgoing and always talking, often blabbering about whatever came to mind and going off of tangents that usually ended with one of the three telling him to shut up. Seeing Woody so closed off was unsettling, and they felt out of their element. None of them were very good at emotional support, and they weren't entirely what to say to get him to open up. Without needing to speak, the three decided to let Woody be. They climbed into their beds and fell asleep, uneasy about the situation but hoping that things would be better in the morning.


	2. Unlocking Doubt

**Hello all. I am back with another chapter. This chapter is set at the same time as chapter one, but from Woody's point of view, and this is where we begin the angst in our story. The headcanons are also in full force here on out. Please enjoy!**

* * *

The day had started out like any other day for Woody.

He woke up at the same time he and his teammates did every day, and went to get his first injection of nutrients and water. After that was his individual training with the scientists specifically assigned to him, studying the various planets he had seen in the intergalactic bracket and pinpoint them in the universe, helping the scientists create a route for them to take once they took to outerspace. After that came lunch break, and that's where everything went downhill.

Woody was waiting for Dr. Hellop to appear when he heard chatter from outside his door. Although he didn't like to eavesdrop, he heard his team's name, and so he decided to listen in to see what they wanted with his team. To his relief, they weren't planning on doing anything with his teammates. Instead, the two nurses were gossiping about which of his teammates they liked more. The two were giving glowing remarks about his three teammates, discussing their skills, personality, and their individual pieces of the suit. Woody was content to see that there was no danger, and would have tuned out, but he was bored and needed something to pass the time, so he continued to listen in on their gossiping; in hindsight, Woody wished he had tuned out when he had the chance.

"Even though Herman only has the boots, at least he can punch a guy," the nurse commented, "unlike that scrawny kid in the helmet."

"Right? Everyone on that team except him can take a punch and throw a punch. I bet _I_ could beat his ass with a single punch," the other nurse added on.

"And his helmet? What does it even do? Make him British?" the first nurse continued, sounding disgusted. "What a waste."

"Couldn't they have taken off the helmet and given it to someone who would be more useful?"

"I heard that all the pieces are locked into the person. Even if they did manage to get the helmet off, it may reject another user."

"So the Earth is stuck with him, huh? Such a tragedy."

Dr. Hellop appeared at that point, and Woody was snapped back from the conversation. By that point, it was too late. He had heard the scathing words the nurses had spoken, and it began to take hold in his mind. He barely registered Dr. Hellop dismissing him. He contemplated going to the Mess Hall like he normally did, but changed his mind and practically ran for their living quarters.

He needed some time to get himself straightened out. What the women had said really shook him up and awakened a part of him that he had been buried back when the Worg attacked. He had been well aware that his piece of the suit wasn't a weapon. He couldn't fire at his enemies if they got too close; he couldn't even defend himself or run away. His helmet was pretty much useless in terms of survival. None of his training was centered on his body, like the other three were. He was always inside, sometimes in a room, going over data and numbers, working on his mental capabilities. He enjoyed his training, but he was well aware that, when compared to what his teammates went through, it was nothing. Zach even complained about it every time Woody commented on their training. Any time Woody said something positive about it, Zach was quick with a scathing remark about how he, Hagan and Herman did the real work while Woody played with numbers. Woody brushed those remarks away, chalking them up to Zach simply being tired and meaning nothing behind them, but the words stuck, and they _hurt._

He knew he was scrawny and not as physically fit or as strong as the three, but he was still trying and didn't that count for something? Unfortunately, it didn't. His teammates (hell, the whole of the DETIA) had no respect for him, and pretty much treated him the same way they treated him before the helmet. His piece of the suit had done nothing to benefit Woody in any way.

Woody hated his helmet. He hated everything about the helmet, and not for the first time, he wished he had listened to Hagan and not grab the damn thing in the first place. Ever since he put it on his head, it had become a problem for him. The damn thing drilled into his head, so if the military had been successful with their amputation, Woody would be dead. And, even if they did find a way to remove the pieces without having to cut off the ligament it was attached to, who was to say things would turn out alright for Woody? Thanks to the drilling, taking off the helmet could result in either brain injury or death; either way, Woody wasn't getting out of the predicament unscathed. Hell, the thing was practically killing the young man already! With no way to take it off and no way to lift the visor, Woody had no way of intaking real food. His body was surviving on nutrients being injected into his body via needles in his veins. How long his body could survive on that diet alone was beyond him, and it scared him to think that there would come a day he'll just drop dead from malnourishment.

He hated how he got little sleep because his mind ran a mile a minute (not to mention that damn blue light that kept shining in his eyes). The constant thinking was something Woody had come to tolerate, but his teammates didn't appreciate the fact that he was always thinking. Any time he went off on a tangent, they were quick to shut him up, uninterested in whatever facts he had to spew about a particular subject. It really showed how useless he was to the team; all he was good for was spouting out knowledge that nobody wanted. Some teammate he was, huh?

He was pulled from his dark thoughts by a hand on his shoulder, and his body reacted to the interruption by curling in on itself in protection. He blinked, returning to the real world and finding himself laying down with his knees tucked in close to his chest. Standing right in front of him was his teammate, Hagan, looking down at him in concern. Not wanting to have a conversation while looking at the man from a tilted perspective, Woody sat himself up so that he could converse with the older man properly. Hagan removed his hand from Woody's person, letting it fall to his side.

"Is something wrong Hagan?" Woody asked the man, sounding more confused than he actually felt.

"You tell me," the man responded. "You skipped out on the Mess Hall. Did everything go well with Dr. Hellop?"

"It proceeded as normal," Woody answered, resisting the urge to cringe at the memory. "I decided to come here and rest instead of go to the Mess Hall. That's all."

"That's all?" the older man repeated, sounding so much like a parent it almost made Woody laugh.

Keeping a straight face, Woody responded with, "That's all. I'm fine, honest."

Woody wasn't fine, but Hagan didn't need to know that; Hagan probably didn't want to know that. Woody watched as Hagan studied him silently, and Woody kept up his blank look. He wasn't going to budge, not for this. After a while of not getting what he wanted, Hagan relented with a sigh.

"Alright," he stated. "If something is wrong, you know you can come to me with your problems, right?"

"Yes," Woody answered, really wishing Hagan would take the hint and leave. Why wouldn't the man listen to him for once and not doubt him? He never listened to Woody; he had no trust in him and was constantly questioning him.

Hagan clearly wanted Woody to elaborate, but Woody wouldn't give him that. Once again, the older man sighed, this time in exasperation instead of defeat. Reaching out, he placed his hand on Woody's shoulder; Woody didn't flinch from the contact since he saw it coming.

"Alright," Hagan repeated. "Well, I'm heading back to the guys, you coming?"

"I'm going to stay here a little longer," Woody lied.

"Alright. See you in a few minutes," Hagan responded, turning and leaving the barracks. He spared a quick glance in Woody's direction before shutting the door behind him (in hindsight, Woody really wished he told everything to Hagan when he had the chance).

Thankful to be alone again, Woody fell back on his bed, staring at the wall in front of him. He wasn't feeling well and had no intentions on going to training. It's not like the guys would need him anyways; he was useless to them. He offered nothing to the team that would benefit them as a whole. He didn't have a gun, or a shield, or some boots. All he had was some worthless helmet that was absolutely worthless. He was their weakest link, and an easy one to exploit at that. With his weak frame, any alien could snap him in half without wasting their energy. That imagery plagued his mind more often than he'd admit, and it made his stomach turn.

Tired from his thoughts, Woody pulled a blanket over his body and closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep.

He didn't want to wake up.

* * *

Woody heard them approach before the three even made it to the door (a function of the helmet he had learned pretty quickly). He had made it a point to recognize people by the way they walked, and his team was easy enough to figure out. Hagan was in the lead, walking with a purpose for the barrack. Woody didn't have to guess on why he was traversing a fast pace; he found he didn't care. He turned so that he was facing the wall close to him, pulling the blanket up to his chin.

The door opened, and Hagan took a step in.

"Woody?" Hagan called when he entered.

Woody didn't answer the call; he didn't want to talk. Zach stomped over to their shared bunk, no doubt annoyed with Woody's attitude.

"What the hell shithead?" Zach demanded at his back. "Who said you get to skip training while the rest of us have to bust our asses?"

Woody's fingers curled into a fist. He kept up the appearance that he was asleep. Zach didn't appreciate that one bit; he reached out and gripped Woody by the shoulder, giving him a rough shove.

"Hey," the younger man seethed. "Are you listening asshole?"

" _Zach_ ," Hagan scolded from the doorway.

Zach retracted his hand from Woody's person, taking a step away from him. Woody's fingers relaxed. For a moment, he had been terrified that Zach was going to hit him (with his fist or cannon didn't matter; it'd still hurt either way). Thankfully, it hadn't come to that.

"Woody?" Hagan asked in concern.

He stepped forward and touched Woody's shoulder. Woody curled in on himself, attempting to get away from Hagan. He didn't want to be grabbed anymore. Hagan seemed to have noticed his actions because he pulled his hand away. Woody relaxed his body a fraction, but he was still curled in on himself.

"Are you feeling okay?" the older man continued.

 _No,_ Woody thought to himself.

"Did you go to the doctors?" Herman asked, having moved to his bunk.

 _I don't want to go to them anymore_ , Woody argued, suppressing the shudder that threatened to run through him.

"Are you giving us the cold shoulder?" Zach demanded.

 _Please leave me alone_ , Woody begged.

His team seemed to have gotten his silent messages, because they complied with his silent pleads and left him alone, heading off to sleep. When he heard the various snores fill their small living quarter, Woody allowed himself to relax, uncurling himself.

He felt terrible for his treatment toward his team. They (especially Zach) had every right to be mad at him. He let them down once again. Because he was feeling terrible, he skipped out on their team training, and left them hanging, even though he didn't believe they needed him to begin with. What use was his helmet to the likes of a gauntlet and a cannon? He wanted to be better for the team; he wanted them to respect him, but how could he do that with only a helmet?

 _Become stronger physically._

The thought surfaced through his mind almost immediately, causing Woody to pause in his self-misery. That was a very intriguing idea. He _was_ on a military base; training individuals to be at peak physical condition was pretty much their only job. With enough training, he could build up his physique just enough to make himself a threat. He could do it in the mornings, alongside his mental exercises; he could easily do the dual work. There'd be no way for the military to deny his request, especially when he would make his case.

Giddy with the thought of showing his teammates that he was a valuable member to the team, Woody fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	3. Pushed Too Far

**A late post, but later is better than never, right? This chapter is focused on Woody's plan, and on whether or not it will succeed.**

* * *

Woody was practically rolling on his heels as he stood in line, waiting patiently for Vandenbloom to give him his itinerary for the day. He had been rehearsing his lines all morning, skipping out on meeting with Dr. Hellop in the morning. He didn't want the chance of running into the nurses and ruining his good mood. His teammates had found his cheerful mood discomforting, especially after his treatment last night. A quick reassurance from him put the others at ease (though Hagan kept throwing him concerning looks every couple minutes), and they continued their day like they always did.

"And Woody, you'll-"

"Actually, I would like to make a proposal," Woody cut in, surprising the officer (and his teammates).

"Uhm, sure?" Vandenbloom responded in confusion.

"If I may, I would like to work on my physique," Woody proposed. "I have been trained for my mental abilities, but I have not worked on my body's physical capabilities."

Zach and Herman shared a look of confusion, because they couldn't understand why he'd give up his mental exercises for physical exercises. Hagan wore a look of concern in Woody's direction. Vandenbloom looked startled, glancing around the room for assistance. No one spoke up, all of them just as confused. Coughing into his fist, Vandenbloom addressed Woody once more.

"Well your piece of the suit-"

"I'm aware, but I still believe it would be beneficial for the team if I were to build up my strength so that I could defend myself. Without training, I will be a weak link for the team. With proper training, I can be an asset to them," Woody explained. "If you're worried about the time, I can assure you that I can do both my normal training and my physical training at the same time."

"Uhm," Vandenbloom muttered, looking around once more. Again, no one came to his assistance. Of all the days Emory wasn't there... "Well, alright. As long as you believe you can perform both your mental and physical exercises in correspondence with each other."

Woody held in a squeal of glee, managing to stay composed. He nodded in agreement, flashing Vandenbloom his award-winning smile. Vandenbloom moved on, just a tiny bit flustered by the change in routine. After being given their instructions, Herman and Zach were ushered outside. Hagan was told to go to the opposite side of the room, where his normal group of scientists had already set up his training equipment. Vandenbloom was having two soldiers set up Woody's equipment. Woody watched them in excitement, and was pulled out of it by a hand at his shoulder. Turning just slightly to his right, he found Hagan staring at him in concern.

"Woody, are you sure you want to do this?" Hagan asked.

"Of course. I wouldn't have spoken up if I wasn't sure," Woody pointed out.

Hagan was being called by the scientists, but the man ignored them in favor of scrutinizing Woody.

"Are you doing this because of Zach picking on your training?" Hagan asked. "You can't let what that kid says get to you. He tends to speak without thinking."

"It has nothing to do with that," Woody answered, though it was only a half lie. Zach's comments on Woody's training weren't the cause, but they were definitely a factor. "I just wanted to expand on my abilities."

Hagan was called for again, but Hagan didn't immediately scurry to their side. He held up a hand to them, silently telling them to hold on.

"You're absolutely, one hundred percent sure you want to do this?" Hagan questioned.

"Yes," Woody responded quickly, nodding his head in confirmation. "I'm absolutely sure this is what I want."

Hagan bit his lip, studied Woody once more, before sighing and nodding, backing away.

"Just don't overdo it, okay?" Hagan requested before he jogged over to his side of the room.

Woody turned away, focusing his attention back onto the equipment being set up for him. It was a simple machine that they had set up for him, but he was beyond ecstatic to see it. Vandenbloom stepped up to the young man, motioning with his hand to the machine.

"I talked with your group of scientists, and we've agreed that you'll start off easy with your exercise," Vandenbloom explained. "This is a pull-up bar, and we'll start you here. Do as much as you can, and when you get tired, we'll move on to your mental exercises."

"Of course," the young man agreed.

"Do you know how to do a pull-up?" Vandenbloom asked.

The last time Woody had done anything resembling a pull-up had been back in elementary school, where he would sometimes do pull-ups on the monkey bars to be silly. His P.E. class didn't do a lot of physical exercise, and mostly played something similar to four squares (in hindsight, he now knew that he had been in a specials class for P.E.). Still, the military didn't need to know that, and so he tilted his head to give the man a look. Vandenbloom colored in embarrassment and quickly ran off. Looking back at his exercise equipment, Woody walked over to it and gripped the bar.

This would be easy.

It was not, in fact, as easy as Woody had originally thought.

The first time Woody had done his pull-ups, he had lost his grip after his tenth pull-up. His arms had burned from their sudden extensive use, but Woody pushed the pain away and grabbed the bar again, beginning a new set of pull-ups. He repeated this process over five times, each time reaching a new number before falling off. His body was beginning to quake from its overuse and his lungs were burning from the amount of breathing he was doing, but Woody ignored all of the warning signs. He was completely and wholly focused on his task, which was to do as many push-ups until lunch break.

Woody was determined, but determination could only fuel him so long. His lack in a regular exercise schedule combined with his scrawny physique was a downside, not to mention the disadvantage Woody was up against when it came to his helmet and body. Without the ability to actually eat solid food, his body was lacking on necessary nutrients; the injections he received could only provide so much. He was burning more energy than he could make, and the fact that he had skipped his evening and morning injections severely screwed him. With all that combined, Woody really shouldn't have been surprised by what befell him next.

As he was going for his twentieth pull-up, he noticed that his vision had begun to blacken, and he was gasping for breath. His arms and chest were hurting, and Woody felt himself release his hold on the bar and fall to the ground. His head hit the ground, and he vaguely heard someone from somewhere in the area scream his name, but he couldn't be sure who it was.

His final thought before blackening out completely was that he was glad the helmet took the brunt of the fall.

* * *

It was pretty impressive how quickly Hagan moved from one side of the room to the other. He slid to a halt beside Woody's crumbled body, gently pulling the young man into his arms so that he was in a semi-upright position. The older man gave the young man a shake, but the man didn't awake.

"C'mon," Hagan muttered, giving the young man another shake. When Woody didn't open his eyes, Hagan looked over his shoulder to the nearest scientist. "What the hell are you standing around for?! Go and get a goddamn gurney already!"

The shout made many jump into action, and one female scientist was dialing for the medical wing in rapid speed. Satisfied that something was being done for his teammate, the ex-sheriff turned his attention back onto the young man. Woody was knocked out cold, and it was only because Hagan could see his chest moving that he was reassured that Woody was breathing. Hagan bit his lip in worry, coming to the startling realization that, if Woody hadn't been breathing, there would have been no way for him to get Woody breathing without medical assistance. It terrified him how dangerous the helmet was when it came to Woody's health. There was still no way for it to open up or be taken off, so giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was out of the question. The thought of how utterly helpless he was to Woody's well-being shook the man to the core.

Throughout his training, Hagan had kept an eye on his young teammate, watching the way he'd fall off and retry. It was inspiring, in some ways, but also very annoying in others. After the young man's third attempt, Hagan had been tempted to rush over and tell him to stop, but he held back because he didn't want to overstep his boundaries with Woody. Woody had acted out of character yesterday, and Hagan wasn't sure where he stood with the young man, or how well his suggestion would be taken. Now, as he sat kneeling beside his knocked out teammate, he wished he had stopped Woody when he had the chance; what possibly pushed Woody to this state?

The gurney showed up far too late for Hagan's liking, and he didn't like the way the nurses manhandled his friend, unconsciously slipping into parent mode. He spoke up about their mistreatment of Woody, but the two nurses ignored him, focusing on their patient and doing a quick diagnosis on him before getting ready to go. Hagan made to go with the medical officials, but one of his scientists stepped forward, telling him that he had to continue his training. The look on Hagan's face was enough to make the scientist take several steps back.

"Fuck your stupid training," Hagan snapped, glaring at the scientist that had dared to open his mouth and suggest such a stupid thing. "I'm going with him, whether you approve or not."

No one dared confront him after his declaration, and he was met with no resistance when he ran with the medical officials back to the medical wing. He placed his hand at Woody's wrist, fingers on the pulse; a gesture to comfort himself that Woody was still alive. Along with being worried for his unconscious teammate, he didn't want to leave Woody alone with the doctors, especially while the young man was unconscious. He'd be damned if he let them do anything to put Woody in further danger.

Woody would get better; Hagan was certain of this. For as scraggly as the kid looked, Woody was a tough cookie and would bounce back from this. He had managed to survive the Worg attack with absolutely no food in his stomach, a feat that only Zach could make a claim to (since the little shit had snuck off to have sex with his daughter; thankfully that hadn't actually happened). Whatever was wrong with Woody, they would make right, and Woody would be back to his normal self. Hagan would eventually have to tell Herman and Zach about what happened to Woody; let them know that the boy was in the medical wing. But those were things to worry about later, after he found out the diagnosis on Woody and what the medical staff was going to do for the young man to get him back on his feet.

And once Woody wakes up, they were going to have a talk.

A very, very long talk.


	4. Open Up to Me

**We're back with a new installment, and this one features the team reacting to Woody's collapse.**

* * *

Woody had collapsed due to exhaustion. He had skipped on his evening and morning shots, and had used more energy than his body could make. On top of that, his body was showing signs of lack of sleep, like he was barely getting a few hours a night. This was the diagnosis Dr. Hellop had given Hagan over an hour ago. The doctor had been compassionate and understanding, not even bothering to tell Hagan to leave when the man arrived with the nurses and the patient. He had taken one look and gestured to a chair that Hagan had sat himself in immediately. When the medical staff left after Dr. Hellop reassured the man that Woody would live and would wake up eventually, Hagan pulled the chair closer to the bed, keeping a closer eye on the young man. The doctor had Woody hooked up to a bag of water to rehydrate his system, and had his nutrients in another bag, injected into the same arm. Woody was also hooked up to a heart monitor, though this was out of precaution rather than necessity.

Hagan studied the younger man in silence, listening to the repetitive beeps on the heart monitor and the ticking of the clock. It was soothing, and helped to keep the rage in check. Hagan didn't believe himself to be a wrathful man, but the situation with Woody had him furious; this, of course, was only brought upon by fear. He knew that exhaustion wasn't entirely life threatening (Woody would bounce back after a good rest), but it was still troublesome that Woody had been pushed to this extreme. He had willingly ignored receiving his injections, and then pushed himself during his training. It wasn't just a physical problem; there was also a mental problem.

From the hallway, he heard two pairs of footsteps slapping against the tiled surface, betraying the urgency in their steps. Hagan wrote off the sound as the medical staff rushing off to surgery or something, but he was proven wrong when the door was flung open. In the doorway stood Herman, panting lightly. From behind him appeared Zach, who was panting a little heavier. Hagan glanced at the clock quickly, finding that it was ten minutes past their lunch break; it made sense why they were here. Both men wore similar looks of concern, before glaring at the man in the seat.

"What the hell man!?" Zach demanded, pushing past Herman so he could approach Hagan, poking him in the chest. "Why the fuck didn't you tell us he was here?"

"I wanted to keep an eye on him," Hagan responded, which was code for _I didn't want to leave him alone in this place while he was knocked out._

His two teammates quickly caught the message and settled in their rage. Herman stepped into the room fully and closed the door behind him, leaning against it afterward; no one would be getting in without meeting resistance. This created a small space of safety, and the three men who were wary of the medical wing felt they could breathe a little bit easier. Zach took a step back, giving Hagan back his space, and waved with his cannon at the body in the bed.

"What happened?" Zach asked. "Those shitty military dudes wouldn't tell us a thing."

"Exhaustion," Hagan answered. "He skipped his two meals,-" _If you can even call those damn things 'meals,'_ Hagan thought to himself, "-hasn't been getting enough sleep, and pushed his body too far in training today. He fell to the ground halfway through."

"And the docs said...?" Herman trailed off, crossing his arms as he waited for the answer.

"He'll be fine," Hagan responded. "He'll just need to get some rest, and they've already got the water and substances going into his veins."

Herman had taken note of Hagan's tone; it wasn't overly assured, like he knew something else was wrong. "But that's not the only issue?" Herman asked in confirmation.

Hagan shook his head. "It's not the only issue," he echoed in agreement. "This-" he gestures to the unconscious body, "-is a mental problem."

"How are you sure?" Zach asked.

"I have a teenage daughter," Hagan replied. "I made it a point to learn some psychology. Woody, who is always on schedule, suddenly skips two of his meet-ups with Dr. Hellop. Woody, who never let his training sessions bother him, suddenly asks for additional training and then proceeds to push himself past his limits. Does that sound like our Woody to you?"

Zach took a moment to think over Hagan's words before shaking his head.

"No, it doesn't," he agreed.

"How much you wanna bet it's an inferiority complex," Herman commented, looking contemplative. The comment gained the attention of his teammates, and so he continued with his thought process. "He mentioned to Vandenbloom that he didn't want to be a weak link to the team. What if he's thinking lowly of himself in comparison to us?"

"Why the hell would he think that?" the young man questioned.

Hagan and Herman sent Zach an _are you serious?_ look. The young football star stood firm, looking between the two of them quizzically. It was Hagan who decided to answer, Herman simply looking like he was going to slap the kid upside his head (and Hagan was tempted to let him).

"Zach, you above anybody else belittles him every time he mentions his training session," Hagan stated.

"You've been doing it since we first got tangled up in this mess," Herman added.

Zach opened his mouth to argue the point, but he didn't have anything to say, so he closed his mouth. For a moment, he looked abashed.

"I know you don't mean it, but your constant picking on him wasn't helping," Hagan continued.

"It's not my fault he's sensitive!" Zach said in his defense, looking flustered.

"He's always been sensitive," Herman commented. "He just hides it."

"So that's my fault?" the younger man questioned.

"No, it's all our faults," Hagan responded, trying to calm any tempers that threatened to flare. "Woody should have told us what was bothering him, but we should have noticed something wrong with him. He doesn't think we appreciate him, or care about him, and we're going to have to change that."

Zach's face scrunched up, but he nodded in agreement, and a noise of compliance was heard from the doorway. Their conversation was interrupted by a noise coming from the bed, and all three turned their attention onto the young man that was returning to consciousness.

* * *

The first thing Woody registered was his brain. It was pounding rather loudly in his ears. Woody instinctively reached up to touch his ear, but his hand hit his helmet instead of flesh. Holding back a sigh because _of course_ he'd forget that he was wearing a helmet. Wasn't like he didn't wear the damn thing 24/7. Woody forced the pounding away through sheer willpower, and after successfully getting it to settle down, he began to hear other noises. There was a steady beeping sound coming from his left, and he easily identified it as the heart monitor. With the helmet's heightened senses, Woody was able to hear the breathing of three occupants in the room, and that startled the young man. With a sense of urgency because a feeling of fear overcame him, Woody attempted to sit up, struggling a bit because he hadn't opened his eyes yet. A pair of hands was on him immediately, trying to still his movements.

"Woody, buddy, calm down," a voice said, and he recognized it as Hagan. "You're okay pal. Just lay back down and get some rest."

Woody, despite feeling tired and all around upset, didn't _want_ to get more rest. Hagan (and most likely the rest of Lazer Team) was present, and he didn't want to look weak. He was already wasting their time, lying there on the bed. He needed to get up and get back to his training. He made another attempt to move, but Hagan was relentless and pushed back firmly, managing to get Woody lie back down.

"Woody, it's okay, I promise. Don't move, alright?" Hagan advised sympathetically.

Woody frowned, and decided he didn't like being talked to without being able to see. It was a weird feeling, and one he wanted remedied immediately. With some effort, Woody managed to open his eyes, squinting when the blue light and the bright hospital lights shone into his eyes. He managed to adjust to the two lights quickly, and gave a quick scan of his area.

Hagan was standing beside his bed, his hand still on the younger man's shoulder. Herman was by the door, leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest. Zach was at the foot of his bed, his face a mixture of emotions that Woody couldn't really peg down what Zach was feeling. Woody averted his attention onto his left arm, finding the ever familiar injections hooked into his arm. He frowned slightly at the sight of them, and was tempted to remove them, but he didn't think he'd be allowed to get away with it. After spending a fair amount of attention on the medical equipment, Woody moved his attention to Hagan, who was still gripping his shoulder in an attempt to keep Woody in place.

"What did the doctors say?" Woody asked, looking over at him.

Hagan's lips formed a small frown before forming a neutral line.

"You're exhausted, though I bet you've already figured that much out." He did, he just didn't want to admit it. "You skipped on your evening and morning sessions, so they're giving you your missed sessions and your lunch injection. Also, your muscles are most definitely sore because you overused them." Hagan was trying to inform him of the details in a detached manner, but Woody could still hear the scolding in the tone.

"I see," Woody commented.

"That's it?" Zach demanded from the foot of the bed. "You skip your meals, overwork yourself, and your response is 'I see?' Who the hell does that?"

"Zach," Herman warned at the same time Hagan sent the youngest of the team a glare.

"I don't want to talk about it," Woody responded, his voice dull. "I just want to go to our training session."

"You're not going to that," Herman stated.

"We're going to move you to the barracks so you can rest some more," Hagan explained. "You need to get more sleep."

"But-"

"You can go to training tomorrow," Hagan placated. "But you need to rest up. You're not going to be any good if you don't."

Woody's jaw clenched at the word 'good,' but he didn't fight it. The three of them wouldn't budge, and he wasn't in the mood to fight them. Reluctantly, he nodded before turning his face away, focusing on the wall. Hagan, noticing Woody's shut down mode, stared at him in concern. Still, he wanted to get Woody somewhere safe, so he motioned for Herman and Zach to get the wheelchair. They left with little complaint, though Zach looked like he was still fuming. When the door closed, Hagan looked at the young man.

"Woody-"

"I don't want to talk," Woody interrupted, sounding annoyed.

Hagan blinked in surprise, because he had yet to hear Woody sound annoyed. It unsettled him, but he pushed on.

"We need to talk about this," Hagan stated.

"I _don't_ want to talk," Woody replied. "I just...I want to be alone."

"This is too important, Woody," Hagan responded, holding back his exasperation. "You're lucky you're only exhausted. You could have hurt yourself today."

"You're right Hagan, I'm exhausted," Woody stated, still annoyed with Hagan and his relentless persistence. However, his exhaustion did come through and his shoulders slumped, and he sounded tired when he spoke next. "I want to be left alone for the night."

Hagan wanted to continue his talk with the young man, but one glance at Woody's tired face and Hagan deflated in defeat.

"Fine, I'll let you rest. You did have a tiring day," Hagan reasoned, sighing in exasperation. "But don't think you've gotten away with this. We _will_ have a talk about your recent behavior."

Woody didn't respond, and Hagan wasn't willing to continue the fight. They waited in silence for only a few minutes, when Herman and Zach returned with a wheelchair. Taking out the needles and getting Woody in the wheelchair was simple, though Woody wasn't too thrilled that he had to be pushed around. He didn't notice the fact Hagan defected from the group and instead went off to find Dr. Hellop. In his current state, he wouldn't have cared where Hagan had gone off to.

Returned to the barracks, Woody immediately crawled into bed, not responding to either Hagan's or Herman's bids of goodnight. He just wanted to shut himself to the rest of the world and ignore the feeling of shame and failure.

 _I can't do anything right._


	5. You Won't Fall

**Hello all! I'm here with the newest (and last) chapter. I meant to have this out last week, but I accidentally forgot I needed to post it.**

 **Anyways, thank you all for reading and supporting the story. I'll be back soon with another Lazer Team story.**

* * *

Once again, Woody found himself sitting on the bunk of his bed, staring at the wall with a blank look upon his face. Unlike the other day, in which he had been distressed over his lack of a contribution to the team, he was currently an unhappy camper over being left behind. He woke up that morning, ready to start his training with new vigor. His team didn't agree. Woody was given the day off, with explicit instructions to stay in bed and rest. Woody hadn't taken too kindly to the orders and fought them (mainly Hagan, who stood toe-to-toe with the younger man) on the decision. In the end, Woody lost the disagreement and was left at the barracks while the rest of his team went off to training.

It left a bitter taste in his mouth, knowing that he was stuck in bed while they were off training. He has one misstep, and suddenly he has to be wrapped up like he's fine china. Perhaps in a different mindset he would have been happy with the care his team was showing for him (Hagan had even gone out of his way to get him a supply of vials to inject himself with, just so he wouldn't have to go to the medical wing for his injections). In his current state of mind, however, he was far from grateful, and primarily annoyed with the lack of trust his teammates were showing him. He just needed a second chance to prove he was a worthy teammate, and he couldn't exactly do that moping on his bed, right?

 _Right,_ he thought to himself, using the infrared to check for any soldiers in his immediate surrounding. To his relief, none were in the area. Finding no obstacle in his way, Woody hopped off the bunk and made his way for the afternoon training over in the air hanger.

* * *

General Emory looked over the team, noting instantly what was wrong with it: they were missing a member. Emory had been notified that Woody had been taken to the medical ward after collapsing during his morning training. It hadn't been life threatening, but Dr. Hellop had suggested he be removed from training unless he felt better. Judging by the fact he was missing, Emory guessed he was still unwell. Emory was a bit hesitant to conduct training without all four members present, but they had already missed a day, and if they were going to meet their deadline to send them to space, they would just have to make do with what they had.

"Alright gentlemen-" Emory began to say, but was interrupted by the door opening and a new body entering.

Everyone turned their attention to the new person, and Emory noted the expressions on Lazer Team's face when they saw their teammate step in. All three had the briefest looks of disbelief that instantly morphed into exasperation (though Hagan looked angry). Woody walked forward, coming to a stop beside Zach, not at all looking like he was affected by the looks he was receiving.

"Mister Johnson, it's good to see you walking around," Emory commented. "Am I to assume you'll be joining us for this training session?"

"Yes sir," Woody answered. "I apologize for being late."

"I heard you collapsed the other day. Are you well enough to train?" Emory questioned.

Hagan was glaring at Woody from his place at the end of the line. Woody was pointedly ignoring the older man's glare, keeping his attention on the general.

"It was only a minor setback. I'm perfectly capable of training today," Woody reassured the general.

Emory nodded in agreement, after giving the young man a quick look over to confirm his statement. After finding no physical faults with the young man, he nodded again.

"Very well. Your training session for today will set you on the planet Loakri. Data says that they are statistically one of the strongest planets in the brackets," Emory explained to the team. "Your mission is to defeat fifty of them. Any questions?"

Emory studied the four men before him silently, sensing the tension lingering in the air; hell, he could practically see it. But now was not the time, nor the place, to hold a therapy session. That would have to be saved for a later time. With no questions or concerns raised, Emory nodded to the virtual reality technicians. "Let's begin."

* * *

Woody had a small moment to feel victorious as he and his teammates were enveloped by an unfamiliar setting. His moment was quickly ruined by a hand wrapping itself tightly around his arm and yanking him backward. A quick glance to his right found a furious Hagan glaring down at him, Zach standing not too far away from him. Herman was standing some feet away, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"Stick close to myself or Zach," Hagan ordered through clenched teeth.

"Obviously," Woody scoffed, because wasn't that what he always did? He was always delegated to stick close to Hagan or Zach; never allowed to venture out on his own.

Hagan didn't take kindly to the tone Woody used, and Woody felt the hand tighten just a bit more. The pressure made Woody flinch because it actually hurt. Hagan must have seen the flinch because he removed his hand, letting it fall to his side limply. Hagan looked like he wanted to say something more, but he remained silent. Woody prepared to say more as well, but several alerts popped up on his visual screen, warning him of the incoming enemy.

"We've got incoming hostiles," Woody informed his teammates.

All three members jumped into action, tensing in preparation for action. Woody noted that Hagan and Zach stood on opposite sides of him, creating a barrier between him and danger. Woody frowned in annoyance, but he focused his attention on the incoming enemies.

"Three enemies are coming from the right," Woody announced.

"I got 'em," Herman responded, running in the direction specified by his teammate.

"Provide cover fire, Zach," Hagan instructed.

"Don't hit me kid, or I'll kick your ass!" Herman shouted over his shoulder.

"That was one time!" Zach shot back in his defense, raising his arm. "And I missed, remember?"

"Lock onto the enemy for him when you see them, Woody," Hagan continued to instruct.

"Of course," Woody replied bitterly, using his infrared technology to lock onto the enemy faster.

Woody fell into autopilot as the battle begun. His job was a simple one, and he had it down pat. Stay behind the guys, point out enemies, boost the shield, lock onto enemies for Zach. He was the team's water boy, not a player on the team. Woody had been a water boy once, and he didn't want to be one again. He needed a way to prove this to his teammates; he needed something big.

His helmet flashed a warning to him, informing him of a pack of five coming from behind them, moving quietly and slowly. They were trying to surprise the three, but it was difficult to surprise Woody. He opened his mouth, prepared to warn his teammates of the impending danger, but he caught himself at the last second. This was the big chance he was waiting for. He was not going to let this moment pass him by. He glanced over at his two hovering teammates, and found that the two of them were not focusing on him. Quickly and quietly, Woody sneaked away from his teammates and rushed at the pack. He scanned his surroundings quickly to find anything he could use as a weapon. Nothing littered the ground, so Woody was going to have to rely on pure strength. As he neared the group, he tilted his head, prepared to use the helmet as a batting ram. Before he could make contact with the alien group, he felt himself come to an abrupt stop. There was a tight hold on his helmet, and the Loakrian that had him lifted him off his feet. Effortlessly, the Loakrian threw Woody, watching in satisfaction as the human hit the ground with a rough sounding thud.

That didn't go like Woody had hoped. His helmet was going haywire in warning, alerting him to the pack that was about to gang up on him. He heard a noise from somewhere to the side, but Woody couldn't identify what the noise was exactly. His entire focus was on his impending fate. He ran through all the options in his suit, but none of them were useful to his situation. Just as he was about to accept the beat down he was going to receive, he watched in amazement as a ball made of pure energy hit one of the Loakrians, disintegrating it on site. A second one disintegrated in the time it took the aliens to find the attacker. A blur approached them, and a well-aimed punch struck one of the aliens in the jaw, and another was tackled by the same blur. Woody blinked, and he found Hagan standing in front of him, shield exposed and ready to defend against a possible attack.

The Loakrians were gone, beaten by his teammates in a short amount of time. Woody blinked in shock once again, surprised by the quick turn of events. With the immediate threat terminated, Hagan retracted his shield and glanced at his helmet wearing teammate. Woody was staring off into space, looking shaken and lost. Hagan bent down and nudged the young man by the shoulder, and that spooked Woody into reality.

"You okay?" he asked.

Woody stared at Hagan for a few seconds before tears began to well up in his eyes. His shoulders began to shake, and his breathing was faltering. Hagan noticed Woody's reaction and knelt down beside him, clutching at his shoulder to give him grounding. Woody didn't notice the action.

"Woody?" Hagan questioned, but Woody wouldn't respond.

Zach, who was standing closely behind Hagan, turned to look around the area, seeking out where he thought the virtual reality technicians were located. "Cut the session!" he ordered to the open air, a glare accompanying his order to show them he meant business.

The technicians looked at each other in surprise before turning to Emory for his verdict. Emory weighed his options for a moment before nodding at the technicians.

"Cut the session. We'll call it an early day," Emory instructed.

The technicians did as instructed, and Lazer Team was back in the air hanger, all three crowding around their distressed teammate. Emory recognized the importance of the situation and instructed everyone to leave the air hanger. The team hadn't even noticed they were alone; they were too focused on their distressed teammate.

"C'mon Woody, it's okay," Hagan said in a comforting tone of voice. "The aliens were dealt with. You're safe."

"It's not fair," Woody mumbled.

"What's not fair?" Hagan questioned, relieved he was able to get Woody talking.

"Why can't I be useful?" Woody asked out loud.

The three teammates looked at each other in confusion and surprise.

"You wanna explain that better?" Herman questioned.

"I'm useless. I have nothing to offer the team. I'm pushed back to the background, delegated to a warning system," Woody explained, sounding upset and distressed. "I can't run fast, I can't protect, and I can't fight back. I can't do anything for this team." He drew his legs close to his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around them. He tilted his head and rested his helmet on the top of his knees. "You're all better off without me."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Zach demanded. "Of course you can't do any of those things."

" _Zach_ ," Hagan seethed, turning to glare at the younger man.

Zach wasn't deterred by the tone and continued, glaring down at the slightly older man.

"We're a team, Woody. We all have something different to offer. You can't run 'cause that's Herman's job. You can't block 'cause that's Hagan's job. And you can't shoot because that's my job," Zach explained. Woody lifted his head from where they had rested against his knees, staring up at Zach curiously. "Your job is to make sure I hit my target accurately. Your job is to strengthen Hagan's shield. Your job is to check our vitals. Your job is to make sure the enemy doesn't sucker punch us. That's your job, and it's just as important as any of ours."

Woody, Hagan, and Herman stared at Zach in equal amounts of shock. Of all the people to give an uplifting speech, Zach was the last person on the planet they would have thought. Zach noticed the looks on his teammates faces and flushed at their gazes, frowning in annoyance at them.

"Is there a problem?" the ex-football player demanded.

"Zach's right," Hagan remarked, coming out of his stupor and turning his attention back onto Woody. "Your place on the team is just as important, even if you can't be in the heat of battle. You don't need to prove yourself, or push yourself past your limits."

"What got you on this road, man?" Herman questioned. "You've never been self-conscious before."

Woody glanced down at his feet, playing with fingers in nervousness. Hearing Zach's mini-speech and Hagan's reassurances, he suddenly felt stupid for the behavior he had taken the past few days. Why had he acted like he did?

"Uhm...I heard some nurses talking about the team," Woody admitted. "They...They were talking highly about all three of you, but they didn't think nearly as highly about me. They...they called me worthless to the team."

"You got your panties in a twist because of some gossiping women?" Zach questioned, getting an elbow in the ribs from Herman.

Hagan sighed under his breath because the youngest team member had actually been helpful no more than a minute ago. The young man should just learn to quit while he was ahead. Surprisingly, Woody wasn't offended by Zach's brashness, and stared at the man sheepishly.

"When you say it like that, it does sound stupid, huh?" Woody questioned.

"Well, it is stupid," Herman agreed, earning a deep sigh from Hagan. "Who cares what some random girls say? Some teenage girls on the internet think me and Hagan are banging each other, but we all know that's not true. I sure as hell don't let it get to me."

"How the hell do you-" Hagan shook his head because a.) he didn't need that image in his head and b.) he needed to focus on the real issue. "Never mind. Anyways, those two are right, sort of. You shouldn't have let them get you down, and you should have told us sooner. We could have helped you."

"I get that now," Woody responded, glancing down at his feet again. "I guess I just got caught up because I didn't want to be a water boy again. I...I didn't want to be left out."

"You're not alone Woody, and you won't ever be alone," Hagan promised the young man, applying pressure to his shoulder in emphasis. "We're Lazer Team, and it's all of us, or none of us. If you ever have a problem, you come to any of us, okay? We're here, and we won't let anything hurt you."

Herman and Zach nodded in affirmation from behind their unofficial leader. Woody smiled in happiness for the first time in what felt like a long time. He felt a weight be lifted off his shoulders, and it felt good. He knew the worry wasn't completely gone; it was still there, in the back of his mind, just as it had always been. There would be a time, sometime in the future, that he would fall back into his moment of self-doubt. But now he had people who cared about him that would come to his side when he was in trouble.

For the first time in a long time, Woody had a place to belong.


End file.
